Yukino didn't share the details of her future plans—not with Utaha, nor with anyone else.
But Utaha could tell she had made up her mind.
That was a good thing. After all, very few people truly understand what they want in life, let alone have the courage to take action toward it.
Before the final exam results were released, students were given a day to relax—but most of them knew that unless they were truly confident in their scores, that "relaxation" could be pure torture.
Of course, Ichin and Utaha weren't among the worried ones. It was always either first or second place for them—the only question was which of them would take the top spot this time.
At 9 a.m., Ichin woke up—unusually late for him.
He'd pulled a bit of overtime at the studio last night, working on the core combat system of their new game. Umiko had stayed behind with him and even ended up sleeping there.
Huh... once the team grows larger, will these folks end up spending nights at the office again?
Lying in bed, Ichin's mind wandered to the future. Their new office space should be within walking distance—ideally no more than a ten-minute walk. As for the two apartments on the lower floors of their current building, he could convert them into dorms for the senior staff, like Kō Yagami and the others. Anyone who wanted to live there could, and he'd only charge a modest rent—definitely cheaper than what they were paying now.
Take Kō Yagami for example: ever since she moved close to the studio, she'd saved about 60,000 to 70,000 yen a month on rent. And that was just for a one-bedroom apartment. For something larger, like the two-bedroom place Yukino lived in now, the cost was even higher.
As for charging rent—Ichin wasn't planning to profit off of that. He wasn't _that_ kind of boss.
Thanks to November's Steam Autumn Sale, the discounted sales of _Slay the Spire_ and the newly launched _Hollow Knight_ had already brought in more than enough revenue.
And the Winter Sale was still around the corner. Plus, the Nintendo Switch eShop would be having end-of-year discounts too. _Slay the Spire_ was confirmed to be part of it—at a 30% discount.
_Hollow Knight_ wouldn't be going on sale again this year, but maybe by next spring or summer, it could be discounted too.
His thoughts drifted all over the place, and before long, he was fully awake.
Looking down, he saw that Utaha was still curled up fast asleep in his arms. One of her arms had been draped over him all night like she was holding onto something precious. Maybe that made her feel safe.
Waking up with your girlfriend in your arms was a wonderful feeling, sure... but right now, Ichin really had to pee.
Left with no choice, he reached out and gently pinched her cheek.
"Utaha. Utaha."
Responding to his soft voice, the sleeping beauty slowly opened her eyes.
"Mm... Morning, Ichin. What time is it?"
"It's nine. Not exactly early anymore."
"Nine already?"
Utaha blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected it to be that late—or for Ichin to be the one waking her up.
"Guess pulling an all-nighter really _does_ mean we should go to bed early next time."
Despite her words, she didn't make any effort to get up. Instead, she rubbed her eyes, leaned back into his chest, and closed her eyes again.
"I'm going back to sleep for a bit. There's nothing important to do today anyway."
"Yeah, uh... that's fine, but... mind letting go of me first? I kinda really need to use the bathroom."
Utaha finally opened her eyes and smiled at him.
"Can't hold it anymore?"
"Yeah... kinda," Ichin admitted honestly.
She didn't tease him further. With a small laugh, she let go, and Ichin quickly got up and made his way to the bathroom.
After using the bathroom, Ichin didn't plan on going back to sleep. He splashed some water on his face, exercised a bit on the treadmill in the living room, then hopped in the shower.
When he returned to the bedroom, Utaha was already curled up under the blanket, fast asleep again.
He walked over and sat at the edge of the bed, gently pulling back the covers to reveal her head. Her hair was slightly messy from being tucked under the blanket.
Seeing her looking so lazy and cozy, Ichin chuckled.
"Not getting up yet?"
Eyes still closed, Utaha shook her head and muttered, "Nope. Still tired. I want to sleep a bit more."
"Alright then, sleep a little longer. But make sure you're up before noon, okay? Let's go out this afternoon—how about it? You haven't really bought any new winter clothes, have you?"
The moment she heard _shopping_, Utaha's drowsiness vanished. Her eyes flew open, locking onto Ichin.
"Are we really going shopping?"
"When have I ever lied to you?"
"Good point."
Nodding, Utaha shifted into a more comfortable sleeping position.
"Then I'll nap a bit more. Wake me at eleven, okay? We'll grab lunch and then go shopping."
"Sounds good. Sleep well."
Just as Ichin was about to leave the room, Utaha tugged on his hand, her big eyes pleading up at him.
Ichin understood instantly. Smiling, he leaned down and gave her a kiss on the forehead. Satisfied, she finally let him go, and he left the bedroom.
---
After a full day of rest, the final day before winter break finally arrived.
Upon arriving at school, Ichin and Utaha headed straight into the academic building, making their way to the results board.
There was already a crowd of students gathered around, but given their height—and their usual placement—it wasn't hard for the two of them to glance straight to the top of the rankings.
Checking the second-year results board, Utaha quickly noticed the smug expression on Ichin's face. With a playful smile, she pinched his arm and walked with him toward the stairs.
On the way up, Ichin leaned over and whispered, "I won. Don't forget our little bet."
"Hmph. Fine, you win this time."
Their scores were close—Ichin had only beaten her by eight points—but a win was a win.
Utaha had to admit it: Ichin was seriously impressive when it came to academics. So this was the power of a top-tier student? And he wasn't just a bookworm either—he was talented in so many other areas too.
"So, Ichin, what do you want as your reward? Have something in mind?"
"Hmm... I've got an idea or two." Ichin smirked as he took her hand.
"But no rush—we'll talk about it when we get home."
Seeing the mischievous smile on his face, Utaha immediately blushed. Whatever he was thinking, it definitely wasn't anything innocent.
---
When they arrived at the classroom, everyone's expressions were mixed. Some were clearly happy with their scores, ready to enjoy a relaxing winter break. Others looked dejected—probably those who'd be forced into cram school during the holidays.
About five minutes after they sat down, Shizuka Hiratsuka entered the classroom early, holding a stack of graded Japanese exams from the finals.
Judging by her expression, the overall class performance hadn't met her expectations at all.
As her gaze swept across the room, quite a few students immediately looked away in guilt.
Yep, this first class of the day was definitely going to be _interesting_.
...
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